We’re 6 months in. How do we find calm in the chaos? When change is swirling all around us.
Change of seasons
We’re into a change of seasons. Autumn brings the leaves changing colour on the trees. It’s breathtaking.
Autumn colours
We also know it’s short lived. We’ll be into the cold and snowy weather before we know it, and we could be back in isolation again. That thought is weighing heavily on our minds. At the beginning of the pandemic, it was cold and snowy too, but we knew warmer weather was just around the corner. It was a beacon of hope. Now on the other side, the winter looming ahead seems like a long dark tunnel.
2nd wave
We’re into the 2nd wave of the pandemic. There are constant daily updates. Numbers are on the rise. Will the schools stay open? Restaurants? Stores? Will we have to quarantine again? What about the holidays? There’s so much uncertainty.
Turmoil south of the border
There’s the U.S. election. Even though it doesn’t directly affect us here in Canada, we feel the reverberations. The inaneness of it all is hard to escape. It’s both bewildering and alarming.
Mixed in with that is the enormous loss of RBG, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. A strong and calming voice of reason and hope for gender equality in a sea of inequality. And, now her most fervent last wish “not to be replaced before a new president is installed” may not be honoured.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Then there’s Black Lives Matter. We’re in the middle of the fight for racial justice. It’s long overdue. Some days, we seem to be moving forward and then you watch the news or the presidential debate and it feels like two giant steps back. But, there’s no going back.
Day 2
Brené Brown says we’re in Day 2 and it’s no picnic. In many ways, it’s trickier than an FFT (Effing First Time) which was 6 months ago at the beginning of the pandemic. Day 2 is the messy middle. It’s when we hit the wall. It’s the point of no return. But, all the magic happens in Day 2. It’s where all that tension comes together and learning occurs and goodness is created. But, we have to be open, vulnerable, take action, and be patient. I highly recommend listening to this Day 2 episode of Brené Brown’s Unlocking Us podcast.
How do we get through Day 2? We need to recognize it, name it, talk about it to normalize it, put it into perspective, and put realistic expectations around it. There’s no avoiding it. We have to get through the messiness to get to Day 3.
A welcome visit
Today, I had a customer and friend come to visit my home studio. She’s been inundated with change over the last 6 months, moving provinces in the middle of a quarantine. It was wonderful to see her and just have a conversation. It felt good to talk about what’s been going on in my life. And, if felt good to listen to what’s been going on in her life. We talked about all the chaos that’s been happening in the world. How it’s weighing so heavily on our hearts and minds.
We discovered we’re both having trouble remembering words. We’ll be mid-sentence and suddenly we can’t find the right word or we’re using the wrong word. We hear it happening but we can’t quite catch it in time. Is it age? Perhaps that has a little to do with it. But, I think it’s more the Day 2-ness we find ourselves mired in.
What we’re missing
We’re feeling the lack of closeness with other human beings. What we need most right now is a hug. We’re missing that physical touch.
I long for the simplicity of going to the local coffee shop, sitting down with a friend, and having a long chat over a cup of tea and maybe some dessert. And, not having to worry about whether or not I can use the washroom. I would like to greet my friend with a big hug and leave her in the same way. It seems so trivial but I don’t want to trivialize it. I want to talk about it and normalize it.
I’m so happy Nancy came to visit. It was comforting to have a real face-to-face, girlfriend-to-girlfriend conversation. We both agreed it made us feel better. We talked about “Day 2” and we normalized it, even our lack of finding the right words.
Clothes that comfort and calm
Nancy went away with a new Claire bamboo fleece jacket to go with the bamboo Lynne pants she already owns.
Nancy in the Claire jacket and Lynne pant
If we’re going to be stuck at home during the 2nd wave, then we might as well find calm and comfort in clothes we love to wear. Clothes that are so soft and cozy, you forget you have them on. Check out my collection of bamboo wear. Get the feel of pyjamas without the look of pyjamas especially on your Day 2 zoom meetings!
Until next time,
~ Colleen
I’m a recovering Chartered Accountant and Breast Cancer Champion turned Fashion Designer. My COKANNA Canadian-made bamboo clothing is all about comfort and style. Giving back to the community is important to me so I support Rethink Breast Cancer‘s metastatic breast cancer education, support, and advocacy work.
